On June 4, 2025, President Trump signed a proclamation titled "Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats." This executive order introduces new travel restrictions and visa limitations, effective at 12:01 EST on Monday, June 9, 2025.
Key Provisions of the Proclamation:
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This Executive Order does not affect individuals from all countries. Suspension of entry to the U.S. applies only to foreign nationals of the designated countries who:
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Are outside of the U.S. on or after June 9, 2025, and
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Do not have a valid visa on or after June 9, 2025
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- Full Entry Bans: Nationals from the following 12 countries are subject to full entry restrictions: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
- Partial Restrictions: Nationals from seven additional countries—Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela—face partial entry limitations (applies to immigrants and nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J Visas).
- The Executive order specifically states that an immigrant or non-immigrant visa issued before the effective date of the proclamation will not be revoked.
Exemptions:
- Individuals who are inside the United States on June 9, 2025 are not covered by the ban.
- The ban provisions are applicable only to nationals of the subject country who are outside the U.S. without a valid visa as of June 9, 2025. Individuals who are outside the United States on that date but have a visa that is valid as of June 9, 2025, would likely not be covered by the ban.
- The proclamation includes additional exceptions for lawful permanent residents, dual nationals traveling on a passport from a non-designated country, individuals granted asylum or refugee status, holders of diplomatic and international organization visas, and athletes participating in events like the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
Implications for International Students, Scholars, and Faculty:
International students and scholars from the affected countries, particularly those seeking F, M, or J visas, will be unable to apply for a new visa, and may face challenges in entering the U.S.
Because the current situation is changing moment-to-moment, BIO recommends against travel outside the U.S. for individuals from the 19 countries. BIO urges impacted individuals with valid visas to consider entering the US prior to the travel ban effective date, as much as possible. BIO is sending additional directed communications and support to students, scholars, and employees who may be impacted.
Individuals on immigrant and nonimmigrant visas from all other countries should be aware of additional issues of concern: increased screenings and travel delays, and future changes in visa issuance for additional countries. For the near future, Berkeley International Office recommends minimizing international travel due to the changing nature of the new administration’s policies on visas and U.S. entry.
Resources:
The whitehouse.gov website includes a Fact Sheet page summarizing the Executive Order, and NAFSA has provided a detailed Summary going over the Executive Order content and implications.